So I'm looking to begin my application process next year (my last year of university), and I have a couple of questions for you 'veterans'.

1) I do volunteer tutoring at the International Studies department at my University. It's all ESL and University Preparation tutoring; however, I'm not formally paid nor is it formally recorded. Will this still count? or should I request to have them begin formal tracking of my volunteering?

2) I've done two study abroad programs, one in Korea (for International Relations) and one in Japan (for Language and Culture). I know that the application places weight on having previous experience in a foreign country; however, given the current tensions between Korea and Japan would having an educational involvement in the field of International Relations w/ Korea have a negative effect on my application or is that even looked at?

I applied this year and I my best credentials came from the experiences where I was an unpaid volunteer. I volunteered at a Rabbit Rescue (Magic Happens Rabbit Rescue) teaching kids how to care for small pets at the local ASPCA shelter, and I represented the rescue for adoption days and helped cleaned bunny cages. I also did unpaid tutoring at a low-income neighborhood in New Orleans through St. Luke's Assemblies of God. I have also coached and tutored my peers in animation and the arts.

I was also President of the Japanese Animation and Cultural Society (yeahyeahanimeclub) where I gave presentations on traditional japanese arts and events (festivals and Ikebana, yo). I also mandated a dress code whenever I took the club out to Japanfest. It was business casual. I told my club members that if they wanted to carpool in my fancy van, they HAD to dress nicely. NO cosplaying, NO weird hippie crap, and DAMMIT NO TUTUS OR MISMATCHED KNEE SOCKS. The effort to make our anime club NOT look like a bunch of Weeaboos paid off in our favor. (I left MOST of that off my SOP, btw. XD )

The trick is showing that you are familiar with teaching on SOME level, and that you have the skills to show that you can adjust to living in Japan because you are familiar with its culture and can deal with the culture clash.

This is just what I keep hearing from the members on the boards and such. We'll find out soon enough if I had the chops to make it to the interview.

We Jeeperneez are express all emotion through money. Wedding is happy money. Funeral is sad money. Izakaya is friendship money. Girl-bar is almost-sex money. But babby-borning is bery happy money, as no babby in Japan. All babby is special so we is givings much money as presento for babby.

Damn man, seeing people with this kind of background kind of diminishes any hope I have of getting an interview...

I wouldn't stress. It will make you nervous in your interview (if you get one), the mind is a powerful tool. If you go in to the interview thinking you're defeated before you even defend your position sitting in the chair you're a lost cause. Just remember, getting an interview means you have the qualifications they are looking for. Interviews, much like with any job are the employers searching for an 'x factor' that intangible qualification that you can't read on paper.

Stay confident, ask lots of questions. You'll be fine.

@gizmotech

Thanks, this alleviates a lot of my worries.

Last edited by genkispirit; December 2nd, 2013 at 02:33.
Reason: Small grammar issue.

If you knew how many highly unqualified JETs there were you wouldn't give it a moments thought.

I'm actually worried when I apply next year, even with my 'qualifications' I still won't be accepted. It appears that the amount of JET applicants accepted keeps going down. I'm a canuck so my chances shrink a lot just based on what I can tell from the amount of Canadian applicants accepted in the past 5 years.

I'm actually worried when I apply next year, even with my 'qualifications' I still won't be accepted. It appears that the amount of JET applicants accepted keeps going down. I'm a canuck so my chances shrink a lot just based on what I can tell from the amount of Canadian applicants accepted in the past 5 years.

Well, I have some good news for you: it appears that you have been misinterpreting the available statistics. In fact, the statistics seem to imply that you, being from Canada, have a distinct advantage. For instance, last year there were 2334 JET participants from the US, 432 from the UK, and 477 from Canada. Now, when we factor in population density, we see that Canada is favored above either of these countries. Canada has one tenth the population of the US, yet has a fifth as many participants. As for the UK, Canada has half the population, yet has MORE participants. Interestingly, the only countries that have a greater advantage (per capita) than Canada are Ireland and New Zealand.

Now, it is impossible to say if this will correlate to Canadian applicants having a better chance of being hired, as we don't have the statistics on applicants. However, there is a VERY good chance that Canadian applicants will still have a distinct advantage when all is said and done.

P.S. Keep in mind, this holds true for new hires as well. The numbers for new hires seem to correlate nicely with the overall numbers for participants.